Environment

Yesterday Globe became the proud owner of a brand new hydroponic kit by HydroVeg, to support education and volunteer programmes. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in water without soil. Minerals and nutrients are added to the water so the plants produce fruits and vegetables all year round.The kit provides an innovative way of growing vegetables with no soil, no digging, no watering, no snails and no slugs.

Globe have been fundraising for the kit throughout last year and following those efforts, we are now able to unveil our hydroponics feature at the Eco Centre. This kit will provide a great way of educating volunteers, residents and schools on how to grow plants in different conditions, without the aid of soil.

There are a range of benefits to using hydroponics to grow fresh produce, from the health of our bodies to the health of the environment. Hydroponics eliminates soil-borne pests and disease, so there is no need to use large amounts of pesticides. This, in turn, reduces soil erosion as well as air and water pollution. Pesticides from traditional soil-based agriculture run off into rivers and streams, harming fish populations. Reducing pollution is vital to protecting plants and animals and the eco-systems they support.

Lead by founder and inventor Sue Tonks from HydroVeg, Globe took the kit on its first outing for an educational session at St. Mary’s C of E Primary School in Uttoxeter, with many of the children fascinated by the sight of the long bare roots of the plants, which would normally be otherwise covered up by soil.

This Saturday also saw the first public course, demonstrating the hydroponic kit at the Eco Centre’s Sustainable Garden, the event has proven incredibly popular, selling out within weeks.

Globe will be running a variety of different hydroponic sessions. If you would like to be notified about future sessions and garden volunteering opportunities, please register for our newsletter HERE